Lamp making machinery



March 28, 1961 Filed Feb. 4, 1955 E. G. FRIDRICH 2,976,893

LAMP MAKING MACHINERY 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Inven bov ELmeT Gfrioh'ich,

y M K His A=ttorne9 March 28, 1961 E. a. FRIDRICH LAMP MAKING MACHINERY 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 4, 1955 .m 9 I .TF 0 ne e vr A h WWH E V H b 2,976,893 Patented Mar. 28, 1%61 ice LAMP MAKING MACHINERY Elmer G. Fridrich, Cleveland, Ohio, assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Filed Feb. 4, 1955, Ser. No. 486,068

1 Claim. (Cl. Mil-71.6)

This invention relates in general to lamp making machinery and more particularly to apparatus for orienting lamp mounts and positioning their lead wires. The invention is more specifically concerned with a combination of mechanisms operable with sealing machines for orienting mounts with the press in a definite plane and for subsequently spreading the lead wires in a definite pattern.

In a fluorescent lamp sealing machine, the mounts are supported in the mount spindles of heads disposed about the periphery of an indexing turret, the heads also including tube holders or jaws which support the tubes or elongated envelopes with their ends juxtaposed to the mounts. The turret rotates intermittently to index the mounts and tubes to various work stations where suitable heating means, such as gas flames, heat the mount and the end of the tube to fuse their mating edges together. The sealing operation is then repeated, either in the same machine or in another machine, to attach a mount to the other end of the tube, the tubes being inverted for this purpose during the second sealing operation.

In the manufacture of fluorescent lamps, it has been the general practice up to the present time to seal the mounts to the tube or envelope without observing any particular relationship between the orientation of the presses of the mounts at both ends of the envelope; thus the planes of the presses or of the filaments and lead-in wires at opposite ends have not in general corresponded, nor have they borne any particular orientation to the envelopes or to identifying markings thereon. As far as the operation of the lamp is concerned, this is immaterial, but it has necessitated the services of an operator to align the ends of the lead wires at each manufacturing stage in which it is desired to operate upon the wires. For instances, in the exhausting process, it is necessary to energize the filamentary cathodes in order to decompose and activate the alkaline-earth mixtures with which they are coated. For this purpose, the exhaust machine is provided with electrical contact plates disposed along the path of movement of the ends of the lamps for engaging the ends of the lead wires. Prior to loading the lamps into the exhaust machine, the operator must spread the lead wires outwardly and transversely to the axis of the lamp at both ends and in substantially corresponding planes; thereafter, in loading the lamps, she must make sure that the plane of the lead wires is substantially radial to the turret of the machine in order to insure engagement between the ends of the lead wires and the contact plates. These operations are tedious and time consuming, and it will readily be appreciated that it is desirable to reduce their scope or, preferably, to eliminate them entirely.

Accordingly, an object of the invention is to provide a new and improved mechanism for orienting an electric lamp mount by relation to the plane of its press.

Another object is to provide a new and improved mechanism for bending the lead wires of an electric lamp mount outwardly and transversely to its longitudinal axis.

A more specific object is to provide a combination of mechanisms operable with electric lamp sealing machines to orient a lamp mount by relation to the plane of its press at one station and to bend the lead wires outwardly and transversely to the longitudinal axis of the mount at another station, the mount orienting operation at the former station serving to reduce or substantially eliminate the possibility of improper functioning of the lead wire bending mechanism at the latter station.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention operable with a fluorescent lamp sealing machine, the mount orienting mechanism is located at a station closely following the mount loading station. The mechanism proper comprises a resilient slotted member which is advanced against the press of the mount to turn it into the plane of the slot. In a preferred embodiment, there are provided centralizing jaws and a slotted member in the form of an arcuate hairpin with a flared forward end which is pivoted into engagement with the mount during its index at the orienting station.

Also, in a preferred embodiment, the lead wire bending mechanism is located at a station subsequent to the sealing stations and, if desired, immediately preceding the unloading station. It will be appreciated that during the sealing of the mount to the tube, the lead wires must be located within the mount spindle as otherwise the gas flames heating the mount and the end of the tube would burn them off. The bending mechanism proper, in the illustrated embodiment, comprises a pair of scissor-like members or fingers which, while closed together, are advanced against the exhaust tube of the mount now sealed to the lamp envelope and raised out of the mount spindle. The scissor fingers are closed, but there is enough of a gap between their forward ends that the exhaust tube will wedge them apart as they are advanced against it. At the same time, the lead wires which, by reason of the prior orientation of the mount, are located in a tangential plane at right angles to the direction of advance of the fingers, are forced out and away from the exhaust tube. Thereafter, the fingers are opened or spread apart to bend the lead wires outwardly into a tangential plane. The ends of the scissor fingers may be raised slightly above the end of the lamp, after they have fully opened, in order to bend the lead wires up around the end of the lamp when desired.

For further objects and advantages and for a better understanding of the invention, attention is now directed to the following description and accompanying drawings.

The features of the invention believed to be novel will be more particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

In the drawings, wherein like numerals denote corresponding parts throughout the several views:

Fig. l is a plan view of a peripheral fragment of a lamp sealing machine including a number of heads indexed into successive stations and having associated therewith mount orienting and lead wire bending mechanisms embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the mounting orienting mechanism shown in engagement with a mount located upon the supporting spindle of a head of the sealing machine;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section through the pivotal axis of the orienting mechanism and the mount spindle along a plane radial to the axis of the sealing machine;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the lead wire bending mechanism at the limit of its opening in bending the lead wires of a mount;

Fig. 5 is an elevation of the rear side of scissor finger portion of the lead wire bending mechanism;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the cams of the sealing machine for actuating the mount orienting and lead wire bending mechanisms.

Referring to Fig. 1, there is shown a fragment of a turret 1 of a lamp sealing machine supporting a plurality of heads 2 which are indexed at regular intervals to successive stations by intermittent rotation of the turret in a counterclockwise direction, as indicated by the arrow 3. The intermittent rotation of the turret may be achieved in the usual manner by means of a grooved cam on a cam shaft which engages rollers fastened to the underside of the turret, the shape of the cam being such that when it engages one of the rollers the turret is moved from one station to another.

The head illustrated at station A (Figs. 1 and 3) has already received a mount 4 which is accommodated upon the upper end of spindle 5 between side posts 6 and 7. The mount comprises a stem tube 8 having a flared lower end 9 which is seated upon the conical upper end of the spindle. An exhaust tube 11 and lead wires 12, 13 depend from the press 14 at the upper end of the stem tube and are accommodated in central passage 15 in the spindle. The press is the result of fusing and flattening the upper end of the stem and exhaust tubes and constitutes a mass of glass through which the lead wires are sealed and through which the upper end of the exhaust tube opens in order to provide access to the interior of the lamp to allow evacuation. The portions of the lead wires projecting above the press support a' coiled filament 16 which, in the case of a fluorescent lamp, is coated with alkaline-earth carbonates prior to scaling. After sealing and during the exhausting process, the carbonates are heat-decomposed to oxides to provide the usual activated filamentary cathode. The plane of the filament and of the lead wires corresponds to the longer dimension of the press.

The first operation of the mount orienting mechanism is to centralize the mount in the spindle 5 by closing locating jaws i7, 18 against opposite sides of the stem tube 3. The jaws are pivotally mounted and, in their rest position, are spread approximately 180 degrees apart and clear of the path of movement of the heads to and from station A, as illustrated in Fig. 1. When closed, the jaws substantially encircle the stem tube in the mating notches 19 in their forward ends. The jaws are actuated by shafting comprising solid vertical shaft 21 and surrounding hollow spindle 22 journalled in ball bearings 23, 24 in support bracket 25 on the upper end of poststandard as. Jaw 17 is fast to the lower end of shaft 21, being brazed thereto at 27. When pivoting into engagement with a stem tube, jaw 17 turns in a counterclockwise direction, as seen in Figs. 1 and 2. The turnning moment is transmitted from hollow spindle 22 to shaft 21 by means of torsion spring 28 interconnecting spur gear 29 fast to the spindle, and collar 30 fast to the upper end of the shaft. The spring urges the shaft in a counterclockwise direction relative to the spindle such that a laterally projecting'portion of collar 30 bears against stop-pin 31 on the upper face of the spur gear. With this arrangement, shaft 21 initially rotates in unison with spindle 22 up to the point where stop-screw 32 on collar 3% strikes guide 33 enclosing rack 34. Thereafter, the excess rotation of the spindle is taken up in winding torsion spring 2%. Screw 32 permits a fine adjustment of the stop position of jaw 17 for centralizing the mount in the mount spindle.

Jaw 18 rotates synchronously with jaw 17, but in a clockwise direction. The reverse rotation is eifected through ball thrust bearings 34, 35. The outside races 36, 37 of the bearings are driven by spindle 22 through friction washers 38, 39, the former engaging the underside of arm 41 fast to the spindle, and the latter engaging the upper side of nut 42 at the lower threaded extremity of the spindle. The inside races 43, 44 engage arm 18 which is fast thereto. The ball retainers or cages 45, 46 are locked in place, being anchored upon post 47 extending from support bracket 25. By reason of the locking of the ball retainers, when the outer races are driven in a counterclockwise direction by spindle 22, the inner races rotate in a clockwise direction and cause arm 18 to pivot accordingly. The arrangement readily permits slippage which occurs as soon as the arm has swung to its centralizing position as determined by engagement of a heel portion of the arm with stop-screw 48 in bracket 49 extending from post 47.

The orienting operation takes place as soon as the centralizing jaws have come to rest in engagement with the stern tube. The continued turning of spindle 22 then causes slotted orienting member 51 on the end of arm 4-1 to engage the mount at the level of the press. Member 51 is, in general, an arcuate or circularly curved hairpin of resilient wire with the forward end of the legs at 52 spread approximately to the longer dimension of the press, and with the spacing between the legs for the remainder of the hairpin approximately equal to or slightly less than the narrower dimension of the press. The preceding mount centralizing operation facilitates the instant orienting operation by insuring that the hairpin engages the mount squarely. It flso provides a pivot point for the mount closer to the point of application of the hairpin, this being particularly important in the case of so-called dummy mounts in which the exhaust tube is tipped ofi short prior to scaling. In the absence of the centralizing jaws, the orienting hairpin might snap oif the exhaust tube of the mount, or again the exhaust tube might bind in passage 15 of the mount spindle and the mount would fail to become properly oriented.

The actuation of the orienting mechanism may be effected in the usual fashion from cam shaft 53 of the sealing machine (Fig. 6) by means of a cam 54 and spring-loaded cam follower 55 to which is fastened one end of flexible core 56 of sheathed cable 57. The other end of the core is fastened to rack 34 which engages spur gear 29 on hollow spindle 22 of the orienting mechanism. It will be observed that the small diameter portion of cam 54 (Fig. 6) has an upstanding boss 58 therein. This boss causes a momentary reversal of swing of the hairpin during the orienting operation which permits the mount to adjust itself upon the mount spindle 5, and permits the orienting effect of the spread forward ends of the legs of the hairpin to be received a second time, thereby affording a more positive orientation. A mount with the greater dimension of the press at right angles to the slot may occasionally spread the legs of the hairpin and not become immediately aligned. However, this position of a mount is unstable and the momentary reversal of direction of the hairpin will practically unfailingly cause it to become properly aligned.

As finally oriented, the mount is positioned with its press tangential to the turret of the sealing machine, that is, with the longer dimension of the press along a tangent to the path of movement of the heads. Since the lead wires 12, 13 are sealed through the press on either side of the exhaust tube, they will also in general be positioned in a plane tangential to the sealing machine turret. The angular relation of the mount to the mount spindle remains the same throughout the course of the mount through the sealing machine, and even though the mount spindle, as part of the sealing head, is rotated on the turret at various stations, it is restored to its original angular orientation prior to the unloading station and at any rate at station B where the lead wire bending mechanism is located. During its course through the machine, the edge of mount flare 9 has been sealed to the lower end of an elongated tube or lamp envelope 59. The lamp envelope is supported in the sealing head by means of spring-loaded jaws 60 on the upper ends of side posts 6, 7 of the head, in conjunction with a locating bracket 61, in accordance with the conventional sealing machine arrangement. At station B, the lamp is raised in the head 2, being caused to slide up with respect to the jaws 60 by laterally pivotable finger 62 on the end of horizontal bracket 63. A spring 64 causes finger 62 to pivot under the end of the lamp, whereby the finger engages the lamp and forces it to slide up in the jaws as bracket 63 is raised by vertically reciprocable acrea e rod 69 to which it is fast. The exhaust tube and'lead wires are thus lifted clear of the mount spindle as illustrated in Fig. 4.

The lead wire bending mechanism comprises a pair of scissor-like fingers 65, 66 which are pivotally mounted at 67 on the end of a horizontally pivotable support bracket 68 hinged on rod 69 through an integral hub 70 between collars 71. The scissor fingers are normally closed together upon a locating pin 72 on a guide or feeler plate 73, likewise pivotally mounted at 67 on the underside of support bracket 68.

Bracket 68 is normally positioned as shown in Fig. 1, that is, swung out of the path of movement of the heads. It is urged to pivot in a counterclockwise direction about vertical rod 69 by torsion spring 74 whereof one end engages the hub of the bracket and the other end is anchored in a sliding collar 75, which is angularly restrained by means of a roller 76 riding on the vertical edge of bracket 77. However, support bracket 68 is normally prevented from swinging forward by roller 78 which engages curving stationary cam 79 on bracket 77.

The bending mechanism is actuated from cam shaft 53 through face cam 81 having a groove 82 therein engaging roller 83 on guide yoke 84 which supports vertical rod 69. As the cam moves rod 69 up, support bracket 68 is lifted along with bracket 63 which is causing the lamp to slide up in the head. As a result, the scissor fingers maintain their vertical relationship to the lamp on a level just below its lower end. At the same time, roller 78, riding on the inclined portion of stationary cam 79, allows the support bracket, under the action of torsion spring 74, to pivot forward in a counterclockwise direction toward the lamp.

The pivoting of support bracket 68 brings the curved end of guide feeler 73 into engagement with exhaust tube 11. The feeler, along with scissor fingers 65, 66, is normally biased forward, that is, slightly counterclockwise, with respect to true alignment with the exhaust tube, by means of a fine torsion spring 85 in cooperation with a stop-screw 86 which limits the degree of bias. The purpose of this arrangement is to compensate for slight misalignment of the sealing machine turret or of the sealing heads, along with dimensional variations in the lamps and mounts. As the curved end of feeler 73 engages the exhaust tube, the feeler pivots into accurate alignment, and the scissor fingers 65, 66 are likewise brought into alignment with the exhaust tube.

The continuing pivoting of support bracket 68 occurring concurrently with the lifting thereof, then brings the forward ends of the scissor fingers into engagement with the exhaust tube, the fingers being forced open on opposite sides of the exhaust tube. The prior orientation of the mount has positioned the lead wires in a tangential plane on either side of the exhaust tube. The scissor fingers thus advance in a direction normal to the plane in which the lead wires are located, so that the lead wires will, except in rare instances, be engaged by the ends of the scissor fingers and forced outward and away from the exhaust tube. To facilitate the penetration of the ends of the scissor fingers between the lead wires and the exhaust tube, they are externally rounded off and internally notched at 87. The external rounding off facilitates forcing the lead wires appart, whereas the internal notching permits close engagement with and encircling of the exhaust tube, whereby substantially to eliminate possibility of a lead wire being missed by the scissor fingers. It will be appreciated that the prior orienting operation has assured that the lead wires will not, except possibly with occasional defective mounts, be located in the narrow ineffective area directly ahead and directly behind the exhaust tube along the path of advance of the scissor fingers.

As support bracket 68 continues to rise, roller 78 reaches the upper straight vertical portion of stationary cam 79, as illustrated in Fig. 4, so that further inward pivoting of the bracket ceases. The lead wires are then bent outwardly and transversely to the longitudinal axis of the lamp by a spreading movement of the scissor fingers occurring during the final upward travel of the support bracket in the following fashion. Support bracket 68 is provided with a split bushing 88 which accommodates the cylindrical side portion of an edge cam 89. The cam is vertically reciprocable within the bushing but is frictionally restrained by a spring 90 and a friction pin 91 which engages the cylindrical portion of the cam through an aperture in the side of the bushing. The edge surface of the cam is engaged by a roller 92 on the short arm of a bell crank 93 pivotally mounted at 94. The long arm of the bell crank is connected to a sliding yoke 95 having rollers 96 on the ends of its legs which engage laterally projecting heel portions 97 of scissor fingers 65, 66. As support bracket 68 approaches the upper limit of its travel, the upper end of edge cam 89 strikes arm 98 on bracket 77. The resultingdownward relative movement of the edge cam relative to the support bracket causes bell crank 93 to pivot in a counterclockwise direction, thereby forcing the scissor fingers, which are normally maintained closed by torsion spring 99, to open. This movement of the scissor fingers bends the lead wires outwardly as desired.

It may be desirable, in order to accommodate some exhaust machines, to bend the lead wires up and around the tlower end of the lamp, so that their ends are sloping upward. For this purpose, there is provided on bracket 68 an auxiliary linkage comprising tilting lever 102, coupling lever 183, and actuating lever 104. At the upper limit of movement of bracket 68, actuating lever 104 is engaged by stationary earn and caused to tilt. This rocks coupling lever 103 and that in turn causes lever 102 to tilt. The transverse end of lever 102 engages the undersides of scissor fingers 65 and 66, which, being made of thin flexible metal, bend up and thereby position the ends of lead wires 12, 13 with an upward slope.

In the retraction of the lead wire bending mechanism to return it to its normal rest position, support bracket 68 first drops without any pivotal movement, and thereafter pivots in a clockwise direction as it continues to drop, the scissor fingers meanwhile remaining in their spread open positions. Toward the lower limit of movement of the support bracket, the lower end of slidable edge cam 89 strikes bracket arm 1W1 fastened to bracket 77. The resulting upward relative movement of the edge cam relative to the support bracket brings the lower portion of the edge cam into engagement with roller 93, so that the scissor fingers are. allowed to pivot in and close on pin 72 under the action of torsion spring 99. The lead wire bending mechanism is now restored to its original rest position, as illustrated in Fig. l, and is ready for the next successive bending operation after the turret has indexed a new head into place.

The mount orienting and lead wire bending mechanisms in accordance with the invention have been found to effect a substantial economy in labor for the manufacture of fluorescent lamps. These mechanisms further lend themselves particularly well to a combination of machines including sealing and exhaust machines with automatic conveyors or transfer mechanisms between them. for effecting substantially completely automatic manufacture of lamps.

While a preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described in detail, it will be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the specific construction and arrangement of parts shown, which is to be regarded as illustrative only. These maybe widely modified Within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claim.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters I Patent of the United States is.

An orienting mechanism adapted for operation at a station of an indexing type 'lamp making machine for orienting mounts indexed to said station upstanding on mount spindles of said machine comprising a pair of mount centralizing jaws normally spread apart and having notched forward ends adapted to encircle the stem tube of a mount when said jaws are pivoted together, and a pivotally mounted arm carrying at its swinging end an arcuate hairpin having resilient wire legs spread apart at their forward ends with a spacing therebetween corresponding to the narrow dimension of the flattened press portion of the mount, a vertical hollow spindle supporting said arm and a vertical shaft extending therethrough supporting one of said centralizing jaws, a spring coupling between said spindle and said shaft causing the shaft to rotate in unison with the spindle during initial rotation thereof and means restraining said shaft from further rotation after said jaws have been pivoted to a centralizing position, means supporting said second jaw indirectly from said spindle and causing it to pivot in a reverse direction to said first jaw, and means for pivoting said spindle with a momentary reversal of swing subsequent to the initial engagement of the hairpin with thepress of the mount whereby to repeat the orienting efiect of the engagement of the hairpin withthe mount.

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